Asmodeus
by ArcherKet
Summary: A mutant with latent psychic powers flees Xavier's Academy after being blamed for the death of a fellow student. Some time later, he is working to protect Granite City from the menaces of society under the veil of Asmodeus, a Biblical demon.
1. Part 1

"_**In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came…"**_

**Part 1: The Long Teary-Eyed Letter**

Dear Kirsten,

I am sorry for having left Xavier's academy so suddenly. Things just started falling apart for me. Then, when that precognition student was killed, the blame began to fall on me, remember? Sadly, even she didn't see it coming. Rather than risk the strong possibility of being punished for it, I thought it better to remove myself from the situation. You may not have noticed, but many students were growing weary and fearful of me, suspicious of my every word and deed. All because I had a history, accidental or intentional, whatever way you see it. It was too much for me to bear.

I'm especially sorry for leaving you. I remember the times we spent together, hanging out by the lake, the water lapping onto our toes as we chased each other down the beachhead, the sand cushioning our falls every time we tackled one another. Or the times we skated on the frozen pond, circling each other, or dancing together on the thin blades of the skates. Not to mention our first kiss on the basketball court. I will cherish forever these memories and regret not being able to create more of them with you. I loved you, and I want you to know that. Included within is your favorite rose, use your power to bring it back to its former beauty.

I suppose I should tell you what I've been doing since my late night flight from the academy on Scott's motorcycle (By the way, please apologize to him for me. I've included money to replace it). I traveled to Granite City to seek out a new life, immediately searching for lodgings. I don't regret leaving, except for you, given how poorly my fellow students had treated me up to that point. My only other friend was Richard Leonheart, the Titan, so I had little to lose by leaving.

Due to my youth, few were willing to let me stay; landlords turned me away from their apartments. I was too young to be trusted, a rogue with only a motorcycle to his name. My prospects grew even thinner when the ones who were originally willing to allow me to stay discovered that I had no money to pay for a room. I suppose they thought me a troublemaker, and who could blame them? After all, I was fifteen, alone in the world, seemingly a runaway, a motorcycle my only possession, and I hadn't the papers to even prove it was my own. Seemingly, I was a runaway, a dangerous and possibly violent teenager who probably stole everything he could get his hands on, the motorcycle included. Plus, weird things tended to happen around me.

If you recall, my powers were not very well developed, for I was a bit of a late bloomer. Among the psychics of our school, I was a joke. I could read minds, but only random, intangible and incoherent thoughts and only at bizarre instances. And my psychokinesis powers were a joke. It was known that I had them, for one time when I was extremely angry I caused everything in the room to lift off the ground. Yet, I couldn't access the power at will, I could not teleport, shaper-shift nor phase through matter. I was the most worthless among the Psychokinesis class. You see, people fear what they don't understand, and my classmates couldn't understand why I was such a pathetic excuse for a mutant.

My only refuge had been in the training I did to learn various martial arts, but particularly, that of using the sword and the body's own agility, called Kenjutsu and Ninjutsu respectively. But, as a lost art, many of my fellow students frowned on me for it. They just couldn't understand why I would wish to study such useless talents. At first I was a joke at this too, but I worked tirelessly, and my teacher, who I had to travel many miles to train with, was a very patient man. Soon, without his knowledge, I had learned to combine what little talent I had for psychokinesis with my swordplay, surpassing him faster than any student he's ever trained.

You remember my final test right? My master challenged me to face off against himself and three other subordinate to him, and I was able to stave off all four of them at once. I succeeded, and my master awarded me the eighth-dan ranking, the highest rank I could achieve anywhere but in Japan. It was a proud day for master and student, yet still, I gained little respect from my peers.

But anyway, I finally found a place to stay right next to a brothel. The landlady there was, well, promiscuous, to say the least. But she was kind enough to allow me to stay. I didn't understand why she trusted me when all others had not, but the thought barely hung around, for I was just grateful for the room. But soon I found out why, for it seems that she found me attractive, in some form or another. She was soon making advances towards me, offering me sexual favors, but I relentlessly rejected her.

Then one night, she burst open my door and screamed that any occupant of her home must offer themselves to her whenever she desired it; such was believed by her to be an unspoken agreement between tenant and landlord. I tried to fight her off but ended up obliging.

Before she could seal the deal, however, I discovered raw, untapped power within me. I summoned a chair from the room to hit her, and then I manipulated the matter around me until I disappeared completely. She ran out screaming like she had seen a ghost. On subsequent events, when she stormed into my room, the door unlocked because I had given up trying to keep her out completely, I manipulated the matter of my bed until I had phased through it and lay under it, hiding from her. She grew deathly afraid of me, but could not evict me, for an unprovoked fear that I would retaliate.

Some nights, when my sleep was not disturbed by the crazed landlady, I would awake to the screams of some girl in the alleyway between the brothel and the apartment. Looking out my window, I would see some man forcing himself on a woman. Often, but not always, it was the women employed by the business that would be the targets, by men who were unwilling to pay for their pleasure. I'd look down to see other curious heads poking out their windows, some of my cohabitants just naturally wondering what's going on, others the perverts who want to watch the proceedings. , but none of them willing to give any aid to the girl in need.

On one such instance, I awoke to a particularly more violent sounding rape, especially in the girl's screams of agony. In this case, a girl actually was murdered when the man was finished with her, her naked bloody carcass propped up against the wall of the bordello. I knew that there were children within the apartment compound, and that they were too young to see such things. So, I left the building and ventured into the alleyway. Her body was battered and bruised, dried blood pouring from her upper legs, her chest ripped open by a knife, hearts carved into her breasts. I moved her body to a better location, then wrapped it so that the woman could preserve a bit of decency in death, since she didn't get any in life.

It was these events that shaped me into what I would become, for something stirred within me. If society wasn't going to save these people from these dark crimes of passion and lust, then I would. I adopted an ironic name and made a commitment to stop such crimes from occurring, my personal vendetta. No longer am I called Psymind, I did well to be rid of such a stupid name. Now, the evils of society cringe in fear of the name Asmodeus!

With Love,

Erick Marcus, Asmodeus


	2. Part 2

"_**That voice which calls to me and speaks my name…"**_

**Part 2: The Summon**

Erick, who had been reviewing the letter while walking home, sealed the letter and placed it in a mailbox to be sent off to his past. Then, he entered his apartment complex. He immediately turned on his television set, the news coming on.

"…The mayor met today with city officials to discuss the recent increase in crimes. He suggested hiring more police…" Erick stopped listening for the time being, for it was a story not interesting him. He occupied himself instead with making dinner for himself.

"We go now to a breaking news story," the female anchor said. "A gunner is holding up an apartment complex in the Ratchet district. Police are on the scene, take a look." The screen flashed to a live viewing of another female with a microphone. She was standing on the edge of the road, the rundown buildings clearly indicating the poverty of the district; anyone could tell by sight which district it was.

"Yes, Jill, it appears the man is suicidal, he's carelessly waving his gun around, even pointing it at himself. And he keeps making statements that he will not leave until the devil pays him back for his deeds." She suddenly closed her last two fingers in full view of the camera, then her other two. Erick burst into action, for this was his signal, the way he was contacted.

"Time to go," he said. He donned the superhero armor of Asmodeus, his alter ego. It consisted of a black leather jacket, black pants and black boots. He also grabbed a katana, a set of throwing stars and a single orange rose, which he placed in a special pocket in his coat. The final piece was his black shades, which for one protected his identity, but mostly, it just looked damn cool.

Then, he was off, his motorcycle his transportation to his destination. Immediately, he got stares as people recognized him, and he wondered if anybody ever thought hard enough about the fact the Asmodeus always passed through that particular street. He thought it might be a good idea to move soon, before people figured out where he lived.

In no time, he had reached Ratchet district, and from there, he approached the complex, driving past the news anchor. He stopped the bike right in front of the building, put his hand on the side of it, and suddenly his hand passed through the hard brick. He followed with his whole body, entering the building through the wall.

Once inside, he noticed that the gunner was holding a female hostage, her clothes half on and half off, her face full of pure fear. _How dare he hurt the girl_, thought Erick. The gunman had a similar look of fear, but instead of the girl fear of himself, he feared Asmodeus. He immediately fired his gun at Asmodeus's chest, but with one hand, he had stopped the bullets in midair. It wasn't that he could control the metal of the bullets, as he had heard of Magneto doing, but that he was able to manipulate the matter around the bullet, stopping the flow of its current.

When the gunman had fired the last of his shots, Asmodeus allowed the bullets to drop to the floor, and then ducked his head left as the hand gun went flying towards his head, crashing into the wall. Asmodeus took one step and in a flash, he had crossed the room to be right next to the gunman, despite the distance. This was due to his power; he was able to flash-step his way around. He pulled the crazed man's arm off the girl, who dropped to the floor, weak, and twisted the arm until he got it behind his back. Thus pinned, Asmodeus took the man down.

"Why couldn't you let me have my way?" the man said angrily. "I'm owed something, and she was in the process of giving it to me. Love is what I'm owed in this life, the devil promised it!"

"_Amore e morte,_" he said to the man. "It always is. And this time, it looks like its going to be death for you." He knocked him hard, but whether he had killed him or merely knocked him out is up to your own interpretation. Afterwards, he placed the orange rose on the still body, his personal trademark.

Then, he walked over to the girl, helping her stand up. She tried to fight from his grip, still scared, but he was firm, and his words were soothing. "Don't worry, everything is going to be alright. You have nothing to fear anymore, especially from this man and from me." She relaxed, and Asmodeus was able to reassemble her clothing so that she would at least look somewhat presentable when, inevitably, the news cameras turned to them as he led her out of the building.

The news reporter, at least, understood that he didn't like the publicity when he walked out into the limelight, for she hung back, merely watching the proceedings. It should be expected, seeing as how she was an old ally to Asmodeus, which is how she knows how to summon him. But she is also a close friend to Erick Marcus, his alter ego, though she hasn't made the connection that they are one and the same. Asmodeus is real careful of hiding his face when he's around her. Her name is Gabriel.

Asmodeus handed the girl off to medical officials, promising her that they could be trusted, for she seemed afraid of everyone she didn't know, a consequence of her recent trauma.

When he returned, he discovered that he had forgotten to turn the stove off, and his food had seriously overcooked. He tried a taste of it, but it was too hard and disgusting to stomach, so he decided to throw it away and order pizza instead. However, when he went to scoop the food into the trash, it refused to come out of the pain, and, frustrated, Erick threw the whole pan away into the trash, vowing to buy a new one when he got a chance.

While he waited, he picked up the newspaper he had brought inside. The cover article caught his eye, for there was a picture of a dead man, his scalp torn in two. The headline read, "Dead Man Found, Suspected Work of Notorious Axe-Killer."


	3. Part 3

"_**And do I dream again? For now I find…"**_

**Part 3: The Newspaper Headline**

_Police received a phone call late last night from a man who had claimed to have found a body washed up from the Dirty River, which passes through Ratchet district. When police arrived on the scene, they discovered the man crouched in the fetal position, the body lying next to him. He was covered in blood, and he was crying. After several minutes, police were finally able to understand through his hysterics that after he had gotten off the phone, he discovered this body to belong to none other than his father, who had gone missing not more than a week previous. He had attempted to resuscitate the man, but had been unsuccessful._

_A preliminary autopsy suggests that the time of death was three days ago. The dead man had a large gash crossing from his left eye to the back of his head, his skull completely split open at this point, the insides clearly visible, the brain missing a large chunk. The doctor suggested that the only thing that could have caused this was a bladed weapon, specifically an axe._

_The younger man was taken in for questioning, but he could reveal little about his father that could be deemed important to this investigation. Also, his alibi is airtight, so it is certain that he had no hand in his father's murder._

_Is this the work of the notorious Axe-Killer? Or perhaps the work of a clever imitator, copying his hero's handiwork? And, will the Axe-Killer be caught? Should we ask Asmodeus to do it? More questions than answers coming from this writer today._

Erick set down the paper. He was determined to find this Axe-Killer himself, punish him for his sins against his fellow man, kill him even if he had the opportunity to pass down such judgment. The Axe-Killer desired nothing less than that for his heinous crimes.


	4. Part 4

"_**The phantom of the opera is there, inside my mind."**_

**Part 4: A New Friend's Phone Call**

The phone rang a couple hours later. Erick, who had been lost in thought, jumped at the sound of it, so foreign in this quiet room, for the news was often muted when the live stories weren't being broadcast. He rarely got phone calls and wondered if he should pick it up or ignore it, as it was probably some solicitation. After the sixth ring, he decided that someone was determined to talk to him, and he picked it up before the neighbors could complain about the noise.

"Hello?" he breathed.

"Erick, is that you?" a feminine voice asked.

"Yes, yes it is. With whom am I speaking?"

"Oh good, I was worried I'd called the wrong number, it was tough to find, after all."

"I don't usually give it out, especially to someone I don't know," he said, about to hang up the phone.

"Oh, forgive me," she said. "It's your friend Gabriel."

"Oh," Erick said, taken aback. "I'm surprised you called me. Are you still at the studio?"

"No, I left half and hour ago," she said. "Why, you have it on or something?"

"I always have it on when you're on," he said, and then realized he may have given himself away.

"Oh, that's so sweet of you," she said, not suspiciously, but bashfully. She hadn't caught on, and Erick was able to breathe a sign of relief.

"You are my favorite newscaster, after all," he said, to further cover up his mistake.

"Well, thank you," she said, then went quiet for a while. Erick could tell she was thinking about something, his power was strong enough from even their large displacement from each other, but he couldn't tell what her thought process was.

"Anyway, what did you want to talk about?" he asked.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, breaking free from her mind. "The mayor is holding a grand banquet tomorrow, and I am allowed to bring a friend. Would you like to come with me?"

"Oh, sure. I'm not busy after all."

"You will? Oh good!" she said excitedly, relieved that he said he would go.

"What's the attire for this_ little _get-together?" he asked, for he knew it was neither small, nor was it merely a gathering, but likely, meant to encourage people, especially the well-to-do people, to vote for him in the upcoming elections.

"Go formal," she said.

"Ok," Erick said. There was a long pause, where things got really awkward, and then Erick excused himself, claiming he needed his rest.

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Marcus."

"Please, it's Erick, remember? No one calls me Mr. Marcus who's a friend."

"Ok, Erick then. Good night."

"Night," Erick said, hanging the phone up gently. Then, he sat on his bed, picked up his worn Bible, and set to read his favorite Biblical verse.


	5. Part 5

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem"Sing once again with me our strange duet…"/em/strong/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" p  
>p class="MsoNormal"strongPart 5: The Story of Asmodeusstrong/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Latha','sans-serif';" spanErick's dreams have been plagued by darkness for some time. The violence of the waking world permeates into his sleeping one, until the point where sometimes he cannot determine what is real and what is not./p  
>p class="MsoNormal" The dreams of this night are no different. Erick sees himself laying helplessly in a pool of darkness, though whether it is blood, water, or something else entirely is unknown to his waking mind. He is huddled, aggressively sobbing and tearing at his own flesh, as if there was something crawling within him that he needed to get out.p  
>p class="MsoNormal" As the skin rips away, he sees that on his back a set of wings press against his flesh, clawing at the skin with a violent yearning to be free. When enough of the skin had been torn away, these wings spread out far, and Erick could see that they were impossibly black, that just to look at them was to look at nothingness. They pumped the air with gusto, and suddenly Erick was lifted off the ground, gliding a few meters in the air.p  
>p class="MsoNormal" The dream drew his attention to his own face then, which was beginning to melt and molt. His nose elongated, and his eyes stretched thin and oblong. There was pain in his mouth, and as Erick opened it, all of his teeth were growing sharp and narrow.p  
>p class="MsoNormal" Erick looked down and saw his body grow dark and hairy, until all of his skin had disappeared under a wave of darkness.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His transformation complete, Erick then saw women all around him. They were naked as could be, and they were staring at him with looks that portrayed helplessness and vulnerability. A hunger grew inside him, a mad craving for flesh and warmth and aggression. He couldn't help himself as he ascended on the women in turn, his appetite insatiable. p  
>p class="MsoNormal" Erick awoke then in a cold sweat, his heart racing, his eyes in a panic, and his breath shallow and quick. As the visions of demons slowly faded from his mind's eye, he drew himself into deep meditation to calm himself, as he had practiced many times before.p 


	6. Part 6

"_**My power over you grows stronger yet…"**_

**Part 6: Confrontation Conversation**

"Erick, my old friend, how have you been?" Richard said. They were both seated at a round table near the back of the penthouse suite, where the party was being held. Richard was seated with his feet propped up on the table, his head leaning back, relaxed and confident. He wore a sleek, proud red tuxedo and brown pants.

Erick, on the other hand, dressed in a more traditional black, sat leaning onto the table, tense and mindful. "I've been doing well," he replied.

"What have you been up to?" Richard asked.

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that," Erick said nonchalantly.

"Ah, you wouldn't possibly be referring to vigilantism, would you?" Richard asked, a smile growing on his lips.

"Perhaps, what does it matter to you? Do you have some information for me or something?" Somehow, even as he said it, Erick knew this wasn't the case.

"No," Leonheart said. "So, why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" Erick asked, completely oblivious.

"Don't give me that!" Richard shouted. "You know very well what I'm talking about!"

"If you're referring to the death of that girl back at school, I swear to you that it wasn't me," Erick said. He meant every word, but knew he was not believed.

"I've searched for you a long time," Richard said, standing up. "You're a tough man to find."

"Ok, so now you've found me, what's your point?" Erick asked.

"It wasn't until you sent that letter to our old friend that I knew for sure where you were," Richard smiled.

"Kirsten? What have you done to her?" Erick said, gripping his fists in anger.

"Nothing," Richard said, his hands coming from his sides to stroke his face. Erick decided then to use his telekinesis power, and what he saw in Richard's mind disturbed him greatly.

"You're lying!" Erick said angrily. "She's dead!"

"Oh, so your powers have finally developed, have they?" Richard ascertained. "Good. I thought this was going to be pathetic, but now, it looks like a challenge."

"What are you babbling on about now?" Erick asked. He wanted to attack Richard then and there, but didn't wish to make a scene, for it would reveal his powers and put everyone in danger.

"I've tried luring you out, but it seems that a direct approach is the only way to get your attention. Surely all those deaths would have attracted your attention by now."

"What deaths?"

"Why, the deaths of the Axe-Killer of course!"

Gabriel approached then. "Hey Erick, would you like to dance with me?"

"Sure," Erick said, grateful for the excuse to get out of this tense situation. He would deal with Richard later. He stood up and grabbed Gabriel's hand, but then  
>Richard's firm grip held him tight."<p>

"You're not getting out of my sight," he said. "At least not until your in a few pieces."

Erick, knowing the danger was getting to be too much, decided to try a power that he didn't know would work. He spoke into Gabriel's mind, saying, "Please, you must run." Somehow, she had understood, and she let go of his hand and walked quickly away.

"I'm sorry, Richard," Erick said confidently. "But it is _you _who won't be leaving _my _sight!" He summoned a man who had been serving drinks, and he brought to him his katana. Richard smiled and pulled his axe out from the viola case he had been carrying around.

"Bring it on!" he said. Richard made the first move, but the blade hit only air, Erick disappearing with a crack and something like a puff of smoke. "Wha..?" Richard said, surprised by this move. Then he heard another crack behind him, and turned to see Erick swinging his sword randomly at him. Richard tried to hit him with the blunt edge of the axe, but Erick disappeared again.

Erick reappeared over twenty feet away, his sword put away and his hand raised. The table the two had been sitting in lifted into the air, flipped until the top was facing Richard, and then Erick let it fly. Richard pulled the ax back and swung, cleaving the table in two. Erick threw another and another, but now Richard was steadily walking towards him, muscling his way through the tables.

Then, as the final table was thrown, Richard dropped his axe and caught it, ricocheting it back to Erick, who could only teleport out of the way. The table crashed into the wall, too close to the other people for comfort. Erick noticed then that the entire room was watching them, curious, but cautious not to get too close.

Erick, knowing he was putting lives in danger, charged at Richard, teleporting multiple times to build up his momentum. Ducking under the swinging axe, he tackled Richard and, teleporting, threw him into the wall. But Richard's body was built like a rock, and it hurt Erick as well when he did this. He fell onto his back, and Richard brought the axe down, but Erick rolled out of the way.

Somehow, Richard got ahold of Erick's right leg, and using his sheer strength, he spun Erick over his head and chucked him across the room. Erick crash-landed on a table that had wine on it, and the wine spilled onto his nice tuxedo. Before he realized it, Richard was on top of him, and evil grin on his face. He grabbed Erick by the neck, raised him into the air and began squeezing. Erick, quickly losing air, summoned the power needed to get out of the situation, but his mind was fading fast.

Suddenly, he disappeared from under Richard's massive grip, but this time, Richard was ready. Erick was only able to teleport to the point that he was right behind Richard, who backhanded him with the axe, striking his leg before Erick could even take a step. Erick fell on the floor and quickly flipped himself around as Richard once again brought his axe down on him. Inches from Erick's skull, the blade suddenly stopped. Erick, his head clearing as the oxygen rushed back to him, had managed to gain control of the metal weapon.

Suddenly, the axe was yanked from Richard's hands and it began to float around, attempting to strike him. Erick stood up and drew his sword once again, also attempting to stab Richard. Richard, dodging both, moved into proximity of Erick and punched him hard, Erick losing his breath and dropping both weapons. Richard attacked him, tackling him to the ground. He punched Erick repeatedly in the face, Erick becoming a bloody mess.

"It's over," Richard said. "Now die!"

Erick suddenly knew he was going to die, and had accepted it. It was then that new strength filled his body. And he grabbed Richard's striking fist, able to hold it back despite the superior difference in strength. Richard, surprised, looked at him. "Its over," Erick said quietly. Suddenly, both of them teleported onto the roof of the building, Erick kicked out, flipping Richard over him, and Richard, too close to the edge, tumbled over it. He screamed and cursed as he fell to his death.

Erick stood up weakly and looked over the edge. In true Asmodeus fashion, he pulled the boutonniere off his tuxedo and dropped it off the roof, saying, "_Amore e morte. _You have lost, and death is the price you must pay for it." Then, he collapsed on the hard floor as the rain began to pour all around him.


	7. Part 7

"_**And though you turn from me, to glance behind…"**_

**Part 7: Writing About the Aftermath**

…_When I had come to, I found myself in the arms of Gabriel. She hushed me when I tried to speak, told me I needed to eat to get my strength back, and tried to feed me fish. God, I hate fish! I ate it though, because she wouldn't listen to my protests. It's the most pathetic excuse for meat I have ever tasted._

_A few minutes later, I finally got a chance to talk to her. I apologized for the mess I had made and told her everything. "Why didn't you tell me all of this before? Why pretend to be an ally against crime on the one hand, and a friend on the other?"_

"_You see, I love you, and I was afraid you wouldn't love me, that you would be afraid of me if you knew who I really was."_

"_Oh, Erick! You're such a fool! I loved both of you, the hero who saved our city from crime, and the man who gave me more attention than I deserved. The trouble was I couldn't decide which person I loved more, but now that you've told me this, I realize I no longer have to make that choice. I loved you and would have accepted you for what you were."_

"_It's not too late, you know," I said to her._

"_But Erick, that's where you're wrong. Dozens of people saw what you did, dozens saw your true identity. I don't think they are going to keep quiet about it. How are you going to keep it secret? We'll have to move and hide our identities to protect you."_

_I went silent for a long time, summoning more power than I have ever used before. It would take all of it to achieve what I set out to do. A sphere of blue light encased us, then shot rapidly away in all directions, growing larger and larger. When it had reached over a mile in diameter, I released it, and it faded into nothingness._

"_What did you just do?" Gabriel asked._

"_I erased everyone's memory of this event. People will see the destruction I've caused, but no one but us will remember who caused it. It will remain a mystery, thus perfectly covering our tracks. We'll be able to live as we have in Granite City."_

"_And what about us?" she asked._

"_How about a date?" I asked, and she seemed bashful, but accepted nonetheless._

_-Excerpt from Erick Marcus's journal_


	8. Part 8

"_**The phantom of the opera is there, inside your mind."**_

**Part 8: Classifieds**

"_New villain looking for work. Power of super strength, grudge against the hero Asmodeus. Contact 555-1874 for more info._

"_**And in this labyrinth where night is blind, the phantom of the opera is here, inside my mind."**_


End file.
